Brexit and London’s Universities

Andrew Dismore: What will be the economic impact of Brexit on the London University sector?

The Mayor: I am proud of London’s higher education sector, which is home to some of the world’s leading higher education institutions (HEIs). This includes our research-intensive universities, through to specialist colleges, schools and research institutes. London is often the first choice of academics in receipt of prestigious European Research Council grants.
London’s HEIs attract significant funding as part of the UK’s involvement in EU innovation and research programmes; I want this to continue and have urged the Government to commit the UK to continue participating in the Erasmus and Horizon programmes beyond 2020. I am meeting with senior leaders from a cross-section of HEIs next month to discuss this and other priorities for London.

Responsible person for building safety

Andrew Dismore: At Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee on 31 January, the LFC stated that there was difficulty in “getting Responsible People who wanted to commit and sign their name on documents stating whether or not buildings were safe and whether or not the right safety checks had taken place”. Since June 2017, at how many premises has the Brigade encountered difficulty in securing sign-off from the Responsible Person?

The Mayor: I believe the Commissioner was making a general point about the difficulties and uncertainties around building safety in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and, as a consequence, people committing to sign off risk assessments, provide Competent Person’s advice or sign for work being undertaken on premises.In general, this has led to people looking to London Fire Brigade (LFB) to provide guidance and take ownership of issues that rightly sit with the Responsible Person for a given premises. There have been no specific issues for LFB in this regard but it has been a consistent area that LFB have had to advise on.

Who watches the waking watches

Andrew Dismore: In how many instances since June 2017 has London Fire Brigade reviewed the implementation of a waking watch and other interim fire safety measures in a tall residential building and found them to not meet the requirements set out to the Responsible Person?

The Mayor: The Responsible Person (RP) for a premises is required to seek advice from a relevant ‘Competent Person’ to implement interim measures in their building. MHCLG/NFCC guidance sets out considerations regarding numbers for waking watches and actions they should take in the event of a fire but the final determination is bespoke to each building.This is guidance rather than regulation.
London Fire Brigade has initiated ‘unannounced’ visits by station based crews to check these arrangements.Any issues that have arisen have been minor and resolved at the time or with the support of the local fire safety team.Due to the minor nature of these interactions, no data has been collected in this regard.

Erasmus programme [1]

Andrew Dismore: Brexit will mean the end of opportunities for UK students to study in other EU countries, and for other country EU students to study in the UK, under the Erasmus programme. What can you do to campaign to help bring such opportunities back for Londoner students?

The Mayor: The Erasmus programme has seen many students from across the EU and other participating countries come to London. It has also given reciprocal opportunities for Londoners to benefit from studying outside the UK. I have consistently urged the Government to maintain the UK’s involvement. This is a fantastic programme in which we need to strengthen our participation; Britain’s exit from the EU clearly would clearly put this at risk. I am pleased that the Government has guaranteed funding for the current programme, but.it needs to commit to future participation to ensure London students continue to benefit from these opportunities. I will continue to make this case for London.

Erasmus programme [2]

Andrew Dismore: Will you support Universities UK’s #Support Study Abroad campaign(https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/supportstudyabroad) to give Londoners opportunities to study abroad ?

The Mayor: I want to see Londoners benefiting from a full and diverse experience while studying in higher education, which includes providing opportunities to work and study outside of the UK. The work by Universities UK (UUK) has identified the value of doing so, including improved degree outcomes and higher future earnings. I strongly support UUK in urging the Government to ensure that future generations of students participate in Erasmus and other programmes. I am delighted to see that a number of London universities have signed up to the campaign and would encourage others to do so. I would also encourage universities to engage with Study London/London & Partners which represents London’s diverse offering of higher education opportunities, to attract international students to come and study in London.

Simultaneous evacuation

Andrew Dismore: The most recent statement from London Fire Brigade reports 159 residential buildings in London currently have simultaneous evacuation. In 37 of these, the reason is something other than ACM-type flammable cladding. Please provide a breakdown of the reasons for the simultaneous evacuation policy being applied in these 37 properties.

The Mayor: Simultaneous evacuation has been put in place as a temporary measure for a number of buildings for issues relating to failings in the general fire precautions. These have failings have included breaches in compartmentation, issues relating to the standard and/or condition of fire doors, construction type e.g. large panel construction and suitability and sufficiency of the fire risk assessments.

Fire safety inspection officers

Andrew Dismore: Please state a) how many fire safety inspection officers the London Fire Brigade currently employs, and b) what the rate of staff turnover has been in this department for the three most recent years

The Mayor: The establishment figure for Inspecting Officers (IOs) has remained unchanged for the past three years at 152.5 posts. The turnover rate was 9.68 per cent in 2016/17; 5.21 per cent in 2017/18; and 7.79 per cent in 2018/19 (to date).

Britannia Leisure Centre proposal, Hackney

Nicky Gavron: The Glossary of the NPPF defines Previously Developed Land and specifically excludes “land in built-up areas such as residential gardens, parks, recreation grounds and allotments”. However, in the Mayor’s report regarding the Britannia Leisure Centre proposal in Hackney, in Para 38, it is stated that “there is no loss of existing green open space, rather the open space lost could be considered previously developed land”. The space being referred to is tennis courts in a park. Since, as above, the NPPF specifically excludes parks from the definition, what is the justification for building the Britannia Leisure Centre on part of the park and will it set a precedent?

The Mayor: The NPPF’s references to ‘previously developed land’ relate specifically to development on Green Belt (and, by definition, Metropolitan Open Land which is afforded the same protection as Green Belt). Shoreditch Park is locally designated open space and is not designated as Green Belt or Metropolitan Open Land. My draft London Plan also offers protection to local open space, and seeks to prevent loss of open space without equivalent or better quality reprovision elsewhere.
To off-set the development on the tennis courts in Shoreditch Park, the applicant provided an equivalent amount of open space as part of its proposals, and this reprovision was secured as part of the planning permission. All planning applications are considered on a case-by-case basis and assessed against relevant policies; individual application proposals do not therefore set a precedent for future applications, which will be assessed on their own merits.

Traffic Light Pedestrian Phases (2)

Navin Shah: Can you review the design of countdown digital displays at Transport for London pedestrian crossings? Do you agree that 4-second countdowns (which seem like 3 seconds in practice) are too quick to be of much use to pedestrians in their decision-making?

Why cannot all displays be extended by, say, 5 seconds, and overlapping the still-lit green-person light for their first 5 seconds? Is there any statutory or published guideline reason why not?

Have digital displays proven to be safer, or are they more a matter of convenience?

The Mayor: In order to achieve my Healthy Streets aims for London, Transport for London (TfL) has taken a new approach to its annual review of the timings at 1,200 traffic signals, to ensure that pedestrians and people choosing other active modes are better served at signalised junctions. This includes looking for opportunities for lower pedestrian wait times and better crossing experiences between crossing points staggered across wider roads.
TfL follows guidance from the Department for Transport in the design and operation of London’s traffic signals. This sets out the appropriate countdown period according to the width of the carriageway and based on an average walking speed.
Extending the countdown period by a further five seconds would have unintended consequences, including delays for other people cycling. The lights would take longer to cycle around each stage of the junction, resulting in longer waits for pedestrians, and risking delays to buses. Please refer to Mayor's Question 2019/6348, which sets out the benefits of the countdown timers.
TfL would be pleased to meet you to discuss in more detail the design and operation of different signalised crossings and junctions. Please contact TfL’s Members Correspondence team if this would be of interest.

Traffic Light Pedestrian Phases (1)

Navin Shah: At light-controlled crossings, does Transport for London install both current systems of red/green-person lights for pedestrians? That means (a) just on the far side of crossings or (b) just on the nearby metal pole as the push-button boxes.

Are you in favour of both systems being used? Do you advise boroughs on which to choose? Is the choice governed by statutory rules and/or any published guidelines? Which do pedestrians prefer? Which is safer?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL) preferred layout and method of operation for stand-alone signalised crossings is far-sided red and green figures with a countdown timer, and this is set out in TfL guidance. Other types of crossings are acceptable if requested by the local Highway Authority and if site conditions allow. TfL follows Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) regulations and advisory notes which provide guidance on all aspects of pedestrian crossing design.
There is no research to show what pedestrians prefer, but TfL has customer survey data from the on-street trials for Pedestrian Countdown. This demonstrates that signals installed with countdown timers are well-liked, and that people feel safer and less rushed at a crossing with countdown in place. A summary of this research is available online at:http://content.tfl.gov.uk/PCaTS-Note-2-Overview-Presentation.pdf.
TfL data relating to collisions at signal-controlled junctions and crossings can be found at:https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/collision-levels-in-greater-london-2013-2015.xlsx
TfL would be pleased to meet you to discuss in more detail the design and operation of different signalised crossings and junctions. Please contact TfL’s Members Correspondence team if this would be of interest.

Credit Union

Navin Shah: What does Transport for London estimate it would cost to offer payroll deduction for employees to save with a credit union?

The Mayor: A full cost exercise has not been conducted as there are many variables that would need to be defined that would impact upon this cost, for example how many credit unions Transport for London (TfL) would need to set up the payroll deductions for and what facility they would require.
All TfL employees currently have the option to use a Credit Union facility independently of TfL, using their own electronic banking.

Social prescribing vision

Onkar Sahota: What funding will the Greater London Authority family commit to making the aims of the social prescribing vision a reality?

The Mayor: The Social Prescribing Vision sets out a partnership vision for London. I am working closely with the NHS and other statutory and voluntary bodies to achieve my ambition that all Londoners, and importantly the most disadvantaged, will be able to access social prescribing by 2028.
In 2019/20, I have allocated £160,000 from the GLA Health budget to support the delivery of the vision, investing in building and growing a model for London, based on the priorities identified by partners and through recent public engagement.
I am investing in support for volunteering through Team London, as well as a wide range of community programmes which social prescribing rely on, as highlighted in my Culture and Food Strategies among others. The recent publication of the NHS Long-Term Plan signalled investment in social prescribing, and we will continue to work with partners to grow this in London.

London’s public health laboratory (2)

Onkar Sahota: Further to our recent correspondence, is the position of the public health microbiologist equivalent to the lead public health microbiologist post which existed until 2017 and has since been vacant?

The Mayor: I do not have any responsibility for delivering public health services in London, but I understand that the contract will shortly go out to tender across London hospitals. The responsibility for the public health laboratory lies with Public Health England who will be best placed to provide further information.

London’s public health laboratory (1)

Onkar Sahota: In your response to my question 2019/0421, you said that plans were underway to reintroduce a public health lab based in London. Please can you provide information on the timeline for this and the project lead?

The Mayor: I do not have any responsibility for delivering public health services in London, but my understanding is that the public health microbiologist post will be an equivalent role. The responsibility for the public health laboratory lies with Public Health England who will be best placed to provide further information.

NHS recruitment overseas

Onkar Sahota: Has the London Health Board made any assessment of the amount of money London NHS organisations spend advertising and securing recruitment of staff from outside the United Kingdom?

The Mayor: Overseas workers are and have always been an essential part of the NHS and are essential to delivering London’s health and care services. London needs an immigration system that works to secure the best talent from all over the world and that supports world class services. I am clear that London is open.
The London Health Board has not assessed the London NHS spend on overseas recruitment. This is currently a matter for individual NHS trusts. A national NHS workforce implementation plan, to accompany the NHS Long-Term Plan published in January, is expected soon and the London Workforce Board will be leading the development of London-wide approaches to recruiting and retaining the healthcare workforce Londoners need.

Police and dementia (2)

Sian Berry: In answer to my question 2017/0513 you told me: “The MPS has been engaging with the Alzheimer's Society, Dementia UK and Age UK to improve how they interact with the elderly and dementia sufferers.” Could you provide an update on any changes that have been incorporated into police training since the Metropolitan Police engaged with these groups?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has recently developed the Dementia Friends Awareness e-learning package.
The package focuses on 5 key points:
In addition, MPS staff and the Alzheimer’s Society are co-delivering Dementia Friends awareness sessions.
The MPS has also set up an internal Dementia Support Group (DSG). The DSG has a webpage with a FAQ section and signposting information. Linked to this is a Dementia Support Mailbox for individual queries and a newsletter.

Earls Court masterplan

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide an update of progress in producing a revised Earls Court masterplan?

The Mayor: Since the point at which I made it very clear that any progress on a revised masterplan would depend on Capco transferring the estates back to London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham unconditionally, there have been no pre-application meetings on a revised masterplan. I am extremely disappointed and frustrated with Capco’s failure to progress either the return of the estates and a revised masterplan for the regeneration of this important Opportunity Area, and hope to see progress being made very soon.

Freedom Passes (2)

Jennette Arnold: How many Londoners have a Disabled Persons Freedom Pass? How much is the equivalent ticket sales?

The Mayor: There are currently 178,000 Disabled Persons Freedom Passes and 998,000 Older Persons Freedom Passes. In the year 2019/20, London Councils, on behalf of the Boroughs and City of London, will pay Transport for London (TfL) £321million for revenue foregone as a result of the Freedom Pass scheme for Disabled and Older Persons Freedom Passes. London Councils also separately pay Train Operating Companies and some small non-TfL local bus operators for accepting Freedom Passes on their services in London.

The Citymapper Pass (3)

Tom Copley: The conditions of carriage say a) Where a smartcard is issued by another organisation and can be used for travel on Transport for London services, special terms and conditions may apply - check with your card issuer; b) Special registration conditions apply to smartcards issued by other organisations that can be used to travel on TfL services; and c) Smartcards issued by other organisations and contactless payment cards are not accepted on Heritage Routemaster buses. Do all of these conditions of carriage apply to the Citymapper pass?

The Mayor: The Citymapper Pass is a contactless payment card and so must be used in accordance with the Transport for London (TfL) Contactless Payment Cards Conditions of Use, the TfL Conditions of Carriage, and the Network Rail Conditions of Travel. The Citymapper pass will not work on Heritage Routemaster buses.

Freedom Passes (3)

Jennette Arnold: How many Londoners have an Older Persons Freedom Pass? How much is the equivalent ticket sales?

The Mayor: Please refer to my answer to Mayor's Question 2019/6211.

18+ Student Oyster photocard (3)

Florence Eshalomi: The Transport for London website says, “You can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard if you are enrolled on a part-time course for at least 14 weeks and you are receiving anNHS Bursary or a postgraduate student receiving financial help from youreducation establishment's hardship fund.” Is this advice accurate and up to date?

The Mayor: This advice for applicants of the 18+ Student Oyster photocard is accurate and up to date. The wording is taken from the 18+ Scheme terms and conditions for the 2018/2019 academic year.

PM2.5 Levels

David Kurten: What was the average annual PM2.5 level in each of the 19 years from 2000 to 2018 in (i) Greater London (ii) Inner London (III) Outer London (iv) Central London

The Mayor: The attached table shows the annual average particulate matter levels (with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres; PM2.5) in micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) between 2004 to 2018 for background and roadside levels for Greater, Inner and Outer London. Data for Central London cannot be extracted separately.
The table does not include data from before 2004 because there were very few monitoring sites between 2000 to 2003. The 2018 data has not yet been ratified as it requires a review period before certification.
The particulate matter data is based on a limited number of sites, approximately 25 sites in 2018. As a result the data is better suited for understanding the PM levels at individual sites rather than an average for the regions of London.
Furthermore, the London monitoring network initially focused on NO2 and PM10 and over the years PM2.5 monitoring has been added. As a result there is very limited PM2.5 data before 2004, and in select cases no data is shown before 2008.
This data is readily available on the London Air Quality Network (LAQN) website at https://www.londonair.org.uk/ and is published in the GLA’s annual report.
Whilst there have been improvements over time, it is clear we need to accelerate our efforts. London is in breach of legal limits for PM2.5 and will be for several years without the ambitious policies I am taking forward, including the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Trees

David Kurten: How many trees have been cut down in London to construct cycle superhighways, cycle quietways or other cycling infrastructure since you took office in May 2016?

The Mayor: Since 2016 I have delivered over 140km of cycling infrastructure across London. I will continue to build on this, with further routes planned to be completed and launched throughout the summer in Camden, Southwark, Enfield, Kingston and Waltham Forest and consultations planned for various schemes.
Transport for London (TfL) does not keep a record of any trees removed, or new trees planted specifically as part of delivering new cycle infrastructure. However, it is rare to completely remove any mature street trees, and where this does happen, TfL or the relevant borough always attempt to replace the trees.
The construction of new cycleways is far more often an opportunity to support the delivery of my Healthy Streets Approach, which includes greening the street environment with new planting where opportunities allow.
Examples where my cycling programme has made significant improvements in this regard are in Waltham Forest where approximately 1,800 square meters at Whipps Cross has been given back to Epping Forest and over 800 trees have been planted across the borough.On my new cycle route between Kensington Olympia and Brentford Town Centre it is planned to plant 30 trees along the route.

Brexit and school places

Jennette Arnold: Are you concerned that some schools may be unexpectedly undersubscribed as a result of families no longer wanting to stay in London post-Brexit?

The Mayor: It is too early to change the GLA’s demographic pupil projections based on families leaving London for reasons associated with Brexit.
There are factors indicating that some London schools are likely to be undersubscribed in the next few years. This is a result of births falling back from their 2012 peak, an increase in the outflow of families leaving London (returning to patterns that existing before the financial downturn in 2009), and local changes in population characteristics meaning that some areas now have a lower proportion of families living there. The picture will vary widely with local circumstances, including how accurately local planners anticipated the amount of provision required and the popularity of individual schools.
While the impact of Brexit is currently difficult to anticipate, I will continue to support local planners with data and intelligence to help inform their school place planning activities.

Adult Education Budget

Jennette Arnold: Were you satisfied with the amount confirmed by the Department for Education to be delegated to London?

The Mayor: Confirmation of the £306,444,875 Adult Education Budget (AEB) for the 2019/20 academic year is a welcome step in helping Londoners aged 19+ access the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.
Previously-published figures show that London was expecting circa £311million. The shortfall is due to HM Government retaining £4,831,402 for the continuation of learners accessing learning over two academic years – effectively continuing to fund learners as they complete ongoing courses, rather than passing the funding for the remaining portion of their courses to the GLA. This arrangement will only apply for the 2019/20 academic year; in future years, London expects to receive the entire budget of £311,276,277, equating to 23.79 per cent of the national budget.

Note: London’s AEB allocation has been baselined against actual AEB delivery (excluding 19-24 traineeships, apprenticeships and continuing learners) to London residents in 2017/18 which was published by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in December 2018.

NOx Levels

David Kurten: What was the average annual NOx level in each of the 19 years from 2000 to 2018 in (i) Greater London (ii) Inner London (III) Outer London (iv) Central London

The Mayor: The attached table shows the annual average Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels in micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) between 2004 to 2018 for background and roadside levels for Greater, Inner and Outer London. Data for Central London cannot be extracted separately.
The table does not include data from before 2004 because there were very few monitoring sites between 2000 to 2003. The 2018 data has not yet been ratified as it requires a review period before certification.
This data is readily available on the London Air Quality Network (LAQN) website at https://www.londonair.org.uk/ and is published in the GLA’s annual report.
Whilst there have been improvements over time, it is clear we need to accelerate our efforts. London is in breach of legal limits for NO2 and will be for several years without the ambitious policies I am taking forward, including the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Brexit and teachers (1)

Jennette Arnold: Have you conducted an assessment of how many of London’s teachers and teaching assistants may have their immigration status affected by Brexit?

The Mayor: London level data is not available to conduct such an assessment. Neither the Department for Education data on schools, pupils and their characteristics nor school workforce data record or report on nationality.
The Department for Education (DfE) does report that there were 3,525 Qualified Teacher Status awards made nationally to EEA teachers in financial year 2017/18, which is a 25 per cent decrease from financial year 2016/17, where the number of QTS awards was 4,690. DfE provisional data also shows that in the academic year 2018/19, 91 per cent of postgraduate trainees starting Initial Teacher Training in Secondary subjects were UK nationals, 6 per cent were EEA nationals, and the remaining 3 per cent were nationals of other countries.

Foodsave

Leonie Cooper: Have you considered a follow up to your FoodSave programme?

The Mayor: Following the success of the FoodSave programme, which worked with 170 small and medium sized food sector businesses, I have created a legacy by applying lessons from the programme. The tools, resources and lessons learnt from FoodSave have been integrated into the London wide Trifocal project which is helping to continue to reduce food waste across the city. The project is delivered by LWARB and WRAP.
Trifocal is targeting food waste reduction in 1,000 food service business and 30 large employers; and cascading learning and training to 50 Environmental Health Practitioners. In turn, they will influence up to 10,000 other businesses and 330,000 consumers. FoodSave materials and information has also been used by other programmes, such as Advance London delivery on the Circular Economy route map and WRAPs ‘Your Business is Food’ national campaign designed for reducing food waste in the hospitality sector.
In my London Environment Strategy, I have set a commitment to reduce food waste by 50 per cent per capita by 2050 and as a result I am now a Champion of Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which is a worldwide coalition of government and business leaders to reduce food waste and losses throughout the food supply chain by 50 per cent by 2050. I will be working with other Champions across the world to support London to reduce its food waste, through promoting best practice, leading by example and promoting the need to reduce food waste and losses.

Bus usage

Caroline Pidgeon: What steps is TfL taking to improve passenger experience and encourage bus usage?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) delivered an extensive customer experience training programme called Hello London to its contracted bus drivers from 2016 to 2018. To sustain key elements beyond the programme, it provided a customer service toolkit to bus operators and encouraged garages to appoint customer experience champions. To maintain momentum into the next five years, TfL will implement an incentive scheme from April to encourage operators to enhance customer experience – particularly bus driver interaction with customers.
To get more people on buses, TfL is undertaking targeted marketing in areas where route services have improved and customers can be encouraged to try out or rediscover their local bus services. This also promotes my fare freeze and Hopper Fare, introduced in September 2016, which allows customers to make unlimited bus and tram journeys within 60 minutes for just £1.50, making short hops by bus more affordable.

Malnutrition

Fiona Twycross: What work are you carrying out on malnutrition in London?

The Mayor: Addressing food insecurity and increasing access to healthy, affordable food is paramount to addressing malnutrition. Tackling household food insecurity is prioritised in the London Food Strategy, as part of my broader approach to tackling poverty. I continue to support publication of the Beyond the Food Bank report, measuring each borough’s progress in tackling this and I am funding Good Food Retail Plans to help boroughs improve access to healthy, affordable food in areas of particular need.
I am working with the Mayor’s Fund for London’s Kitchen Social Programme to build capacity and capability in grassroots organisations to offer food that meets school food standards to thousands of young people in low income households during the school holidays.
Child obesity is also a form of malnutrition and my work on this led by London’s Child Obesity Taskforce, including bold measures to support healthier food environments for all Londoners, such as the recent TfL ban on junk food advertising.

Food needs of vulnerable, older and disabled groups (1)

Fiona Twycross: Your London Food Strategy states that you will undertake research to understand the food needs of older, vulnerable and disabled groups across London. When do you intend to start this work? What is the timescale for completion?

The Mayor: We are currently undertaking the first ever research on the level of London household food insecurity, to help us understand which groups are being most impacted by food insecurity. The findings will inform further research with vulnerable groups to support the development of solutions to food insecurity and its impact on these groups.
I have supported ten boroughs to develop local Food Poverty Action Plans, helping local authority teams take a more strategic approach to food insecurity and develop their understanding of the food needs of their most vulnerable residents.
I am also supporting five boroughs, and another five later this year, to develop Good Food Retail Plans, including to help them support the food needs of their vulnerable residents.

Food needs of vulnerable, older and disabled groups (2)

Fiona Twycross: Your London Food Strategy states that you will explore the potential to partner with social enterprise models to help local authorities provide access to healthy, sustainable, affordable
food in the home and community to combat social isolation and malnutrition. When do you intend to start this work? What is the timescale for completion?

The Mayor: The GLA food policy team is represented on an advisory board of the London Independent Living Service (LILS). Its next meeting is in April 2019 and is being hosted by City Hall. Officers will attend to continue to learn more lessons from LILS’ London work and to help scope research needs in this area to help inform any research that is commissioned as well as any partnership opportunities.
Food policy officers are also working closely with Sustain’s London Food Poverty Campaign given its focus on meals on wheels provision across London and work with stakeholders to inform the development of potential new delivery models.

Food needs of vulnerable, older and disabled groups (3)

Fiona Twycross: What discussions have you had with local authorities on their role to provide nutritious food to vulnerable, older and disabled people in their borough?

The Mayor: As part of my London Food Strategy, I committed to fund a pilot programme to support five local authorities to develop Good Food Retail Plans, and I plan to support another five later this year. These plans will help boroughs to improve access to healthy and affordable food for all Londoners and target areas where access is particularly poor.
To help address the food needs of vulnerable, older and disabled people in London, it is vital that others play a part too. I have therefore used my London Food Strategy to encourage all London boroughs to build the rights of all citizens to be able to eat well into their local health and wellbeing strategies or equivalent, and have emphasised our collective right to a fair and sustainable food system.

Food needs of vulnerable, older and disabled groups (3)

Fiona Twycross: Given the number of boroughs now not providing ‘Meals on Wheels’, will you promote the benefits of providing ‘Meals on Wheels’ and similar programmes to London’s boroughs?

The Mayor: In my London Food Strategy, I committed to championing many important issues relating to London’s food system, including the importance of good food for older people and its role in addressing malnutrition and social isolation. The London Food Board’s sub-group, the Boroughs Food Group, which meets quarterly at City Hall, is vital to encouraging better coordination and collaboration between local authorities and sharing best practice. In June 2018, the London Independent Living Service (LILS) were invited to present at the Boroughs Food Group and share the impact of their work as a social enterprise model providing good food and a package of care service in the face of cuts to ‘Meals on Wheels’ and similar services. The Group will continue to promote similar programmes and the GLA food policy team is also represented on the advisory board of LILS to scope research needs in this area.

North West London BCU

Andrew Dismore: On 24th February the entire early turn response team shift was covered by Special Constables in the North West London BCU, apparently so that the regular officers could catch up on their paperwork. While Specials are an important resource and it is welcome that they volunteer to help the public, do you consider it to be appropriate for this to occur?

The Mayor: This was a very specific event that was rigorously planned and risk assessed by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). Contingency plans were in place to respond to exceptional incidents and support was readily available. There was a full handover afterwards and subsequent review overseen by Commander Rose and Metropolitan Special Constabulary (MSC) Chief Officer Dellar.
The purpose of the event was to pro-actively make use of, encourage and develop special constables; as well as improve their working relationship with full time officers and assist the integration of the three MSC teams within the new BCU. It also provided the opportunity for full time officers to progress their crime enquiries.
The MSC is an important part of our police service. The MPS must continue to innovatively develop its MSC capability and integrate them with full time officers, this will include bespoke events led by the MSC and supported by full time officers. I support the MPS to continue to develop the Special Constabulary and recognise the important contribution they make to keeping Londoners safe.

Emirates Air Line 5+ Reward

Florence Eshalomi: If you use your Oyster card to pay as you go for five or more journeys on the Emirates Air Line in one week (Monday to Sunday), you can get 50% refunded to you with the 5+ Reward. Please provide details on the number of 5+ Reward’s that have been claimed since the scheme began. Please breakdown by reporting period.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) used to seek to process 5+ Reward refunds automatically. However, only about one customer per day received the refund, and a decision was taken in 2014 that it was uneconomic to keep providing the refund in this way.
Since 2014, 5+ Reward claims have been handled solely by TfL Customer Services, and detailed records have not been kept.
An annual breakdown of 5+ rewards provided automatically is shown below:
Year  Number of 5+ rewards
2012 391
2013 495

Live facial recognition technology trial in Romford (1)

Sian Berry: According to the Metropolitan Police Service advice and information webpage on the live facial recognition technology trial (https://www.met.police.uk/live-facial-recognition-trial/): “Anyone can refuse to be scanned; it’s not an offence or considered ‘obstruction’ to actively avoid being scanned.”However, witnesses at the live facial recognition technology trial in Romford town centre in January 2019 reported that several people were stopped after covering their faces or pulling up hoods (https://bit.ly/2EOEOZE). Do you share my concern that innocent people objecting to the use of this technology by covering their faces were stopped and treated as potential suspects?

The Mayor: The briefing to officers is very clear - that refusal to be scanned (on its own) is not a reason to stop someone. The Met Police assure me that people objecting to the use of this technology have not been treated as suspects.

ULEZ

Tony Devenish: Will the Mayor exempt the Metropolitan Tabernacle Baptist Church from the ULEZ?

The Mayor: The Ultra Low Emission Zone is expected to reduce vehicle emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides by around 45 per cent, making an important contribution to cleaning up our dangerously polluted air which is harming the health of Londoners.
My officials have met with the Tabernacle. I understand the complexity of the situation and especially as the church’s minibus fleet is on average 14 years old. However, if we are to clean up London’s air to meet legal limits, everyone needs to play their part in improving air quality. I made the difficult decision to keep exemptions to an absolute minimum to ensure the ULEZ is as effective as possible.
I do recognise that some microbusinesses and charities need our help and support to take positive action. I am proud to have launched a targeted £23 million scrappage scheme to help scrap polluting vans and minibuses, and switch to cleaner vehicles. The Tabernacle can access this scheme and either £3,500 or £6,000 is available depending on how they choose to upgrade their vehicles.

384 Bus Route

Tony Devenish: When TfL chose to cut back on the frequency of the 384 bus route, TfL assured me that the concerns of my constituents whose children rely on the bus to travel to JCOSS were unfounded. In fact the bus is frequently delayed and on 7th March the 8:10 from Cockfosters did not turn up at all. Do you agree this is unacceptable and what will you do about it?

The Mayor: I am sorry for the continued delays on route 384. Transport for London (TfL) has told me that a number of utility works may have disrupted the service in recent weeks. I have asked TfL to work with the 384’s operator to look at why parents of children attending JCOSS, have found this service unreliable lately and how this might be improved. I also understand that the utility works have now been completed, and hope this brings about an improvement for bus customers.

Over charging Commuters

Tony Devenish: With commuters suing both Southeastern and South Western Railways for alleged over charging, how confident are you that TfL are not engaging in similar practices?

The Mayor: The Train Operating Companies (TOC) have been accused of selling a ticket for an entire journey where a customer already has a season ticket which covers part of it. I am very confident that Transport for London (TfL) does not engage in similar practices.
Where the journey is wholly within the Oyster area, by touching in and touching out, the customer is automatically charged the correct fare for their extension. For destinations beyond the Oyster area, TfL ticket machines sell a printed extension ticket to the most common destinations outside the zones. The fare is priced from the boundary (i.e. where their season ticket stops up to Zone 6) of a Travelcard season ticket on Oyster.
Where the extension ticket cannot be purchased before starting the journey, staff are instructed to advise the customer to start their journey and buy the ticket at the first opportunity.

Special Constables

Tony Devenish: If still recorded, please can you provide a breakdown of Special Constables in each borough rather than each BCU?

The Mayor: Since the transition to Basic Command Units (BCUs) data is only available by BCU. As of the end of February 2019 the number of Special Constables in each BCU is set out in the table below.
BCU
No.
Central South Command Unit
- Lambeth and Southwark
160
Central West Command Unit
- Hammersmith & Fulham, Westminster and Kensington
267
Central East Command Unit
- Hackney and Tower Hamlets
99
Central North Command Unit
- Camden, Islington
154
East Area Command Unit
- Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge
113
North Area Command Unit
- Enfield and Haringey
98
North East Command Unit
- Waltham Forest and Newham
102
North West Command Unit
- Harrow, Brent and Barnet
171
South East Command Unit
- Lewisham, Bexley and Greenwich
125
South Area Command Unit
- Sutton, Croydon and Bromley
107
South West Command Unit
- Richmond, Kingston, Wandsworth and Merton
121
West Area Command Unit
- Hounslow, Ealing and Hillingdon
140
Borough/BCU Total
1,657
Note there are a further 226 special constables who provide support centrally for an overall total of 1,883.

Probation Service

David Kurten: To ask the Mayor what he believes the impact has been of the part-privatisation of the Probation Service in London on violent crime?

The Mayor: I was opposed to the fragmentation and part-privatisation of the probation service from when it was first announced.
The most recent London violent reoffending cohort shows increases in all reoffending indicators since 2014. These indicators include number of offenders in the cohort and number of reoffences. There has also been a significant shift towards violent offences in the IOM cohort in London, from 16 per cent of offences in 2015 to 29 per cent in 2017/18.
It is not possible with the data available to directly link the rise of violent crime in London to the introduction of the London Community Rehabilitation Company, but the Government’s botched probation privatisation has done little to reduce reoffending rates in London. The HMIP report on the effectiveness of probation work by the London CRC in 2018 found significant improvements in practice since 2016, but services were still judged to not sufficiently support rehabilitation.
Without fully effective probation services in London, the rates of reoffending, including violent offences, will not be reduced.

Youth workers (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: During the Police and Crime Committee session on 6th March 2019, the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime told us that youth workers would be rolled out in custody suites. Please provide detail of how many youth workers you expect to roll-out, where they will be placed, and when this will take effect.

The Mayor: DIVERT, a Met supported service for young people in custody, was awarded funding through the Early Youth Intervention Fund in November 2018. Trained Custody Intervention Coaches are now being rolled out to six custody suites which include Brixton, Wood Green, Lewisham, Croydon, Stoke Newington and Bethnal Green. The full complement of four workers are currently in post.
The Police are also looking to roll out an NHS sponsored project in nine London custody suites. This project will start in two phases in May and June 2019. They are working with the NHS to finalise the exact numbers and locations.
In addition, in Camden and Islington there is an innovative, targeted service that responds to the needs of young people aged 10-17. This service includes one family Support Worker and two Youth Support Workers based in Holborn and Tolpuddle St custody suites. They have been in place since February 2019.

Buses Idling in York Way

Jennette Arnold: Residents are concerned that buses in York Way, Islington are ignoring the requirement for them to switch off their engines whilst parked. Residents have observed buses ignoring the regulation and reminder signs. What reassurance can you provide that this regulation will be reinforced?

The Mayor: Both Transport for London (TfL) and I take this very seriously. I’ve asked TfL to contact bus operators serving this area to remind drivers to switch engines off if vehicles are not about to go back into service. I’ve also asked TfL to carry out spot checks.
To cut fleet emissions both in Islington and across London, TfL is replacing older buses and retrofitting others to bring them up to the latest Euro VI standard. This conversion process has already made around half the bus fleet ultra clean for harmful emissions, bringing immediate improvements to air quality.
As of this year, new double deck buses must also be hybrid-diesel or zero emission. Some more modern buses also have anti-idling technology, which shuts the engine off automatically without driver intervention if the vehicle is stationary for a minute or so. My air quality plans also look further to the future, with the entire fleet needing to be zero-tailpipe emission by 2037 at the latest, designing out this type of issue and relegating it to the past.

Diesel Cars

Leonie Cooper: My previous research found that the number of diesel cars licensed in London rose from 601,456 in 2012 to 774,513 in 2015, an increase of nearly 29%. The number of petrol vehicles fell over the same period, from 1,901,127 to 1,797,099, leaving diesel with a record high percentage of the market, at 29.4%. How many diesel cars and petrol cars do you estimate are owned in London now? What is the percentage increase from 2012 and 2015?

The Mayor: Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders data for the number of passenger cars registered to postcode areas in Greater London indicates a total of 667,307 diesel cars in 2012, growing to 867,426 in 2015. The number of petrol cars fell in the same period from 2,122,872 to 2,053,332.
The most recent figures available, from the end of 2017, indicate a total of 953,911 diesel cars and 2,014,819 petrol cars. That equates to an increase in diesel cars of 43 per cent since 2012 and an increase of 10 per cent since 2015.
Note that these figures include diesel and diesel hybrids combined, and we do not have data on the split between hybrid and non-hybrid vehicles. The figures for petrol include LPG bi-fuel, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and range extended electric vehicles. Again, there is no breakdown of the petrol engine category. Battery electric vehicles are not included.

Free childcare offer

Jennette Arnold: How are you supporting early years providers in conjunction with the free childcare offer?

The Mayor: My three Early Years Hubs bring together early years providers to improve access to quality early education for London’s most disadvantaged children. One of their objectives is to increase the number of families accessing quality 2-year-old Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE), and consequently accessing the 3 and 4-year-old FEEE. Hubs were launched in January 2018 and are funded for three years. Already, over 1,000 eligible 2-year-olds have benefitted from the free early education offer through the hubs.
I know that parents across the capital need help to understand what the Government’s free childcare offer is and how they can access it. That’s why I am funding 11 organisations to pilot local creative activities to engage 4,000 parents, raise their awareness of the benefits of early education and connect with local childcare providers. I launched a pan-London early years education marketing and social media campaign in March. This reaches out to parents through Instagram and Facebook and highlights the 15-hours of free early education for 2-year-olds offer.

Youth workers (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Your Budget includes £20.4 million to support additional initiatives against serious violence, including tackling gangs and providing more youth workers at hospital Accident and Emergency units. How many additional youth workers do you expect to be able to fund from this?

The Mayor: The £20.4million will be profiled over 3 years, as most grant-funded projects will last for 2 or 3 years, with boosts to existing Domestic Violence funding taking effect in April 2019 and projects ending in 2019-20 being extended for a further year
The initiatives include targeting £5.57million towards violence reduction initiatives including tackling gang violence through integrated gangs’ units, by providing mobilisation funding in key boroughs and expanding and extending A&E youth worker provision in major trauma centres. The precise details of how this will be implemented are still being scoped out.

101 service

Caroline Pidgeon: The National Police Chiefs Council recently wrote to Policing Minister Nick Hurd suggesting that budget pressures could cause the 101 service to be turned off at night from next year, once the contract expires in March 2020. What is your response to this?

The Mayor: The challenges facing London and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are well known - the funding picture for London continues to be extremely difficult and as a consequence, the MPS must deliver its services with fewer officers. However, responding to calls is a fundamental responsibility of the MPS, and the MPS have assured me they are working hard to improve this including recruiting additional staff to help deal with the rise in demand and there are currently no plans by the MPS to make any changes to the 101 service.

Food Waste

Leonie Cooper: When do you expect the consultant’s report on Barnet food waste collections to be published?

The Mayor: The final consultant’s report on Barnet’s future waste services (options modelling and appraisal), is due at the end of April. It is anticipated that the report and its underlying modelling will be utilised by Barnet in the development of their Reduction and Recycling Plan, which will then be submitted to the GLA for review and sign off.

Place shaping capacity survey

Nicky Gavron: Your recently publishedPlace shaping capacity surveyshows that 38% of London local authorities lack confidence in their organisation’s place shaping capacity to ensure the delivery of good growth, and over 80% of authorities say it is difficult to retain place making staff (more than double the number in 2014). What support will you be offering local authorities who wish to increase their place shaping capacity?

The Mayor: I am concerned about the levels of place shaping capacity within London boroughs. My Good Growth by Design programme acknowledges the fundamental importance of the high-quality design of buildings and neighbourhoods as, together with boroughs, we seek to tackle London’s growth challenges. My commitment to the programme includes the establishment – and considerable take up – of Public Practice, a social enterprise offering dozens of placements of design professionals in local authorities, and my Home Building Capacity fund, which is making £10m available to support housing delivery capacity in boroughs.
This is in addition to the continued provision and development of learning and training offers through partners, including Urban Design London.

Care homes failing fire inspection followup (6)

Andrew Dismore: Please subdivide the results of London Fire Brigade’s care home audits that led to an enforcement notice or notice of deficiencies by borough.

The Mayor: Please see the requested results of the London Fire Brigade's care home audit below:
Barking and Dagenham
8
Barnet
24
Bexley
11
Brent
11
Bromley
71
Camden
13
Croydon
44
Ealing
19
Enfield
10
Greenwich
20
Hackney
6
Hammersmith and Fulham
5
Haringey
15
Harrow
7
Havering
16
Hillingdon
14
Hounslow
14
Islington
8
Kensington and Chelsea
7
Kingston upon Thames
10
Lambeth
26
Lewisham
29
Merton
5
Newham
19
Redbridge
20
Richmond upon Thames
16
Southwark
7
Sutton
28
Tower Hamlets
10
Waltham Forest
34
Wandsworth
9
Westminster
13
Total
549

Micro Homes

Nicky Gavron: The Adam Smith Institute has recommended in its Jan 21 “Size doesn’t matter: giving a green light to micro-homes” report that that you should remove minimum space requirements for co-living units and micro-homes. Will you be taking up that recommendation? Please give your reasons.

The Mayor: No. All self-contained housing must be fit for purpose and meet the needs of residents now and in the future, and housing standards are one of the most effective tools we have to ensure that this occurs. That’s why I have strengthened the relevant details in my draft London Plan, making sure that all self-contained housing meets minimum space standards.
Large-scale-shared-living is a new form of non-self-contained accommodation and I have introduced a policy in my draft Plan to manage this type of development. I will be carefully monitoring proposals and if necessary I will produce design guidance to manage the quality of this accommodation.

18+ Student Oyster photocard (5)

Florence Eshalomi: The Access to Learning Fund was withdrawn by the Government at the end of 2013/14 academic year. What effect did it have on the number of part time students who received the 18+ Student Oyster photocard?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) cannot identify a direct influence following the withdrawal of the Access to Learning Fund. As shown in the answer to Mayor's Question 2019/6317, there is an apparent reduction in overall 18+ Student Oyster card numbers, but this could be for many factors. For example, some students don’t take up the 18+ Student card because they find it easier to use pay as you go, particularly now they can use contactless payment cards whilst some people have switched to cycling and walking.

18+ Student Oyster photocard (4)

Florence Eshalomi: Which schools, colleges and universities are registered on the 18+ Student Oyster photocard scheme. Please provide in excel format.

The Mayor: A list of schools, colleges and universities registered on the 18+ Student Oyster photocard scheme can be found in the attached list.

Loss of banks

Florence Eshalomi: West Norwood is a thriving local town centre in Lambeth and I hope that you will agree that local residents rely on their local banks. There are three retirement and nursing homes close to West Norwood and a number of residents living in the social housing close to the town centre are elderly and vulnerable. These residents do not have access to internet banking and rely on the traditional face-to-face banking. There is currently only one bank branch left in West Noorwood; Barclays. Barclays are now threatening to close this branch, leaving local residents without any available local banking facilities. Will you join me in calling on Barclays to stop this closure?

The Mayor: West Norwood’s high street is indeed crucial to its local community and City Hall has invested considerably in its businesses, community activities, and public realm to ensure it provides for all. My team has developed a supportive and well-evidenced policy framework for high streets, to make sure that the money I am investing into regenerating them is spent in the best possible way. Alongside this, I am campaigning for change to the Government’s business rates policy to gets a fairer deal for London businesses.
Although I am not in a position to comment on individual branch closures, I am aware that the banking industry has committed to minimising the impact of these on customers and communities through the terms set out in the Access to Banking Protocol. Through this agreement, high street banks have committed to making sure customers still have banking services close at hand if a branch closes, and to giving communities fair notice of any closure. I hope that the providers involved are doing this in the case you mention.
When bank branches do close, the availability of free to use cash points is also a concern. My team are in discussions with the leading cash machine network LINK to share their data with City Hall to assist in the mapping of provision.
I am also working on wider changes to make London a more financially inclusive society. My new Economic Development Strategy details how I will work with Londoners who are worried about money, including working with partners to address some of the key causes of financial exclusion.

London Fire Brigade trading company

Andrew Dismore: Please provide an update on the status and future plans for the London Fire Brigade trading company

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade Enterprises Ltd was incorporated on 23 January 2015. Following the resignation of the independent chair and all directors late last year, the company is not now trading. It will remain dormant until further business opportunities for the company are identified. The London Fire Commissioner’s Assistant Director (People Services), has been appointed a director of the company and will ensure that all regulatory requirements are complied with.

Care homes failing fire inspection followup (1)

Andrew Dismore: In response to my question on care homes failing fire inspections, you reported that London Fire Brigade has audited 1226 care homes. Please explain whether these audits were based on information submitted by the care home operators, or site inspections by qualified officers, or other methods.

The Mayor: The audits were conducted as part of London Fire Brigade’s proactive risk-based inspection programme.

Care homes failing fire inspection followup (4)

Andrew Dismore: Please categorise the results London Fire Brigade’s audits of care homes according to the ownership of the operation accordingly: council-run; not-for-profit run; business (managing a single property); business (managing more than one property).

The Mayor: This is not a readily available dataset and in order to provide a response would require an individual check of each premises file and, in many cases, additional web research of the home operator and its portfolio of properties.

Care homes failing fire inspection followup (5)

Andrew Dismore: How many of the 549 care homes audited that received an enforcement notice or notice of deficiencies were also rated as either Inadequate or Requires Improvement at the last CQC inspection?

The Mayor: CQC inspections focus on the provision of care and London Fire Brigade (LFB)inspections look at compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.While performance in one regard at a care premises might point to issues in another area it is not a comparison that is routinely made to inform the work of LFB. LFB’s inspections of care homes is largely informed by their proactive risk based inspection programme.They will routinely inform CQC when an audit outcome results in a notice of deficiency (NOD) or enforcement. On occasion, CQC will inform LFB of fire safety failures identified during their inspections. However, LFB has not identified any correlation between the ratings given by CQC and the results of our inspections.
LFB is leading on a NFCC worksteam to develop a MoU with CQC to develop their understanding of fire safety issues and assist information sharing.

Care homes failing fire inspection followup (2)

Andrew Dismore: How many of the 549 care homes that either received an enforcement notice or a notice of deficiencies have since had a) a follow up visit and b) been judged to be broadly compliant following remediation work?

The Mayor: Of the 51 enforcement notices issued, 30 premises have received follow up visits and been deemed broadly compliant.
In accordance with national guidance, there are no automatic follow up visits on when a notice of decencies (NOD) is issued. However, following a review undertaken by the fire safety department, it means that lessons learned during recent care home inspections London Fire Brigade will, in future, be following up on the more serious contraventions that result in NODs.

Care homes failing fire inspection followup (3)

Andrew Dismore: What was the total numbers of beds in the care homes that were judged a) broadly compliant, b) notice of deficiency, and c) notice of enforcement?

The Mayor: The number of beds in a care home is not a determining factor in considering the outcomes of an audit of the general fire precautions in a building.While the number of beds will be recorded in the individual premises file it is not a readily available dataset.

Met advertising campaign

Tony Devenish: Please provide details re the " strong" Met advertising campaign which has appeared on the tube , including the cost.

The Mayor: The adverts on the tube are part of a larger campaign aimed at celebrating the 100th anniversary of female police officers and inspiring new recruits.
This campaign comprises a wide range of formats including press, social media, out of home advertising and cinema. As the campaign remains ongoing, final costs are not available, but media and production costs are anticipated to be around £456k.
I have been clear that I want a police service more like the city it serves. The case for diversity is already well made: it increases trust and confidence and leads to better service delivery. This is why it is so important for the Met to continue to do everything it can to recruit more women.
The Met’s ‘Strong’ campaign began in November 2018 and whilst it is too early to see the impact in recruit diversity the number of applications is encouraging.

Temporary exclusions

Tony Devenish: Are you concerned that nearly one in ten of Camden's secondary school pupils are temporarily excluded in just one year?

The Mayor: I am concerned that the number of pupils excluded from primary and secondary schools is rising in London, although the rate is lower than for England. This is why my Deputy Mayor Joanne McCartney presented a paper ‘Understanding school exclusions and opportunities for interventions’ at the Violence Reduction Unit Partnership Reference Group meeting in March, which I chaired. Early intervention and support for vulnerable young people both in and out of school is needed. This has been more difficult in recent years due to cuts to school budgets, local authorities, youth services and other preventative services.
The Mayor has written to the Prime Minister calling for local authorities to be given the powers, funding and responsibilities they need over all school exclusions so that there is better co-ordination of services, and to properly fund schools so they have the resources they need to provide early intervention and support all pupils, including those with complex needs.
There were 576 pupils with one or more fixed period exclusions and 29 permanent exclusions from secondary schools in Camden in 2016-17. As a proportion of the Camden secondary school pupil population the rate of children with one or more fixed period exclusions is about 1 in 17 pupils. These figures are taken from the Department for Education 2016-17 exclusions data.

Trusted adult

Tony Devenish: How are you going to ensure every appropriate troubled teenage gang member has the life chances Karl Lokko had by providing them with a trusted adult like Pastor Mimi Asher?

The Mayor: I recognise how transformative a relationship with a consistent and culturally competent adult can be for a vulnerable young person. Many of the programmes that the GLA and MOPAC directly commission or receive funding have mentoring as a core element. Currently Young Londoner’s Fund supports 10 projects that provide mentoring to around 1375 young people. London Gang Exit, which has supported 399 young Londoners over the last three years, is an example of a directly commissioned service which has one to one tailored support from a support worker central to its model. St Giles Trust also do a lot of work across London providing caseworkers to work with gang involved and affected young people; their work is funded (in full or in part) by London Crime Prevention Funding in ten London boroughs.

Bishopsgate Goodsyard

Tom Copley: When do you anticipate an amended planning application submission for the Bishopsgate Goodsyard, which decision ADD2290 suggested would be received by the end of 2018? Do you still expect to hold a Mayoral Hearing on the application this summer?

The Mayor: The amended planning application is now expected to be submitted in April 2019, following extensive and ongoing dialogue with the applicant and the Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Hackney. The Public Hearing is anticipated to take place in July 2019.

Gypsy and Traveller pitches (2)

Tom Copley: Your response to question 2019/3836 shows there is a concerning lack of progress towards the delivery of new Gypsy and Traveller pitches and extant planning permissions are not being converted into completions. What do you propose to speed up this delivery?

The Mayor: Draft London Plan policy H16 Gypsy and Traveller accommodation has introduced a new, more inclusive and comprehensive definition for Gypsies and Travellers. It requires boroughs to plan to meet identified need (using the new definition) for permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches. To ensure that pitches are delivered as soon as possible a ‘fall back’ need figure for pitches is set out at a borough level that can be used until a needs assessment is undertaken.
In addition, local authorities can bid for grant funding to remodel sites or build new sites or pitches through my Affordable Homes Programme (AHP). I am encouraging all London boroughs to access this funding to support Gypsy and Traveller accommodation, and my officers are actively engaging with several boroughs that have expressed an interest in accessing AHP funding for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation.

Gypsy and Traveller pitches (1)

Tom Copley: Following your response to question 2019/3836, could you provide the number of net additional Gypsy and Traveller pitches provided, by borough, since 2007/08?

The Mayor: According to data provided by London’s planning authorities to the London Development Database, a net total of 24 additional pitches have been completed since 2007/08, as shown in the following table.
Borough
Full permissions
Limited Period permissions
Total
Bexley
4
4
Bromley
1
1
Hackney
5
5
Havering
2
2
Kingston upon Thames
4
3
7
Lambeth
1
1
Sutton
4
4

Biodiversity

Leonie Cooper: How are you engaging with Boroughs and Developers to prepare them for the new biodiversity net gain policies?

The Mayor: Boroughs, developers and other stakeholders are already involved in helping to shape and contribute to the preparation of best practice guidance on the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity in London. This will include guidelines on how biodiversity net gain can be achieved through the policy framework I have set for the city.
A workshop has been held with key stakeholders, and they have been invited to submit case studies on biodiversity net gain and comment on a draft of the guidelines. The guidance is expected to be published later this year.

Clean Air Fund

Leonie Cooper: Is there any update on whether London can access the clean air fund?

The Mayor: No. It is disgraceful that London cannot access the Clean Air Fund despite Londoners helping to pay for it. I am implementing the most ambitious plan of any city in the world to tackle toxic air pollution but the government is simply not doing its bit to help us.
Given the lack of support to date I have had to make extremely difficult budget decisions to find a further £48 million to enable me to provide scrappage schemes for microbusinesses, charities and those on low-incomes. I have asked Government to match this funding but have not yet had a response.
Last month I brought together city leaders at the second National Clean Air Summit to ask ministers to increase air quality spending and to deliver a national vehicle upgrade fund. Any new funding must be made available on an equal basis. An enhanced Clean Air Fund would help cities like London deliver additional innovative policies, support a switch to cleaner vehicles and modes of transport and achieve legal limits more quickly.

Abuse of MPs

Joanne McCartney: Given the appalling verbal abuse and intimidatory behaviour of ‘yellow vest’ protestors in and around Parliament Square, what advice has been given to police officers on how to deal with such incidents?

The Mayor: Police officers do have a degree of discretion as to how they deal with people who break the law, particularly for minor offences, but this does not extend to ignoring people who they see breaking the law or ignoring complaints from members of the public about law breaking.
With regards to protests around Parliament Square, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has assured me that officers have been briefed that if any person (member of the public or Member of Parliament) is prevented from going about their daily business through intimidation or obstruction then they must act immediately to prevent offences from occurring. The expectation is for swift decisive action and consideration of arrest for any suspected offence.

Waiting Times at London’s A&E Units

Joanne McCartney: Worsening waiting times in London’s A&E units are a cause of great concern. What pressure are you and the London Health Board putting on government to improve these figures?

The Mayor: Whilst I have no responsibility for the delivery of NHS services, I share your concern - Londoners should expect to be able to access the best healthcare services in the world, where and when they need them.
I raise NHS performance in my regular meetings with London’s health leaders and I will continue to advocate for better access to healthcare for both physical and mental ill-health.
Increasing waiting times are a symptom of the immense pressure the NHS is under. I will continue to speak out about the need for a properly funded NHS, and the cuts this government has made to other critical services including social care and public health.

Bus Feeder/Trunk Model

Joanne McCartney: A resident has asked me to ask if you will consider adopted the feeder/trunk model for bus routes that was suggested by the Assembly’s Transport Committee?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is working hard to ensure the bus network is a more appealing and practical choice for journeys in London, to support my drive for more journeys to be made using sustainable modes. TfL will consider where feeder/trunk services can contribute to this, such as the proposed new route X140 which will strengthen the ‘trunk’ corridor between Harrow and Hayes.
This approach is already present in many suburban centres. For example, West London has ‘feeder’ services such as route U2 and route U7 and trunk services such as route 222 and route U4. In Bexley, trunk route 96 serves Woolwich, Bexleyheath, Dartford and Bluewater, with feeder services linking Bexley Village, Erith and Barnehurst. My Hopper fare supports this approach by removing the financial penalty for passengers who interchange.

Fuel Poverty Action Plan

Leonie Cooper: How are you measuring the success of your Fuel Poverty Action Plan? Is it on track to meet the targets you have set?

The Mayor: The success of my Fuel Poverty Action Plan is measured against the actions and indicators listed in the plan (pages 6-7 and 38-39).
I have delivered a range of actions including launching my Warmer Homes programme to provide heating and insulation improvements; establishing my Fuel Poverty Partnership to bring together stakeholders across the city in delivering on the action plan; launching my Fuel Poverty Support Fund to support existing borough advice and referral services; and delivering the first stage of my Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker.
I have also lobbied government on a fair share of the Energy Company Obligation for London and on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for private landlords.

Solar Action Plan

Leonie Cooper: How are you measuring the success of your Solar Action Plan? Is it on track to meet the targets you have set?

The Mayor: The success of my Solar Action Plan is measured against the actions and objectives listed in the plan (pages 6-7).
To date, I have made good progress towards delivering the actions. The first two phases of Solar Together London have seen 530 households install solar panels to date and the London Community Energy Fund already supports 31 community energy projects, including 21 projects planning to install a total of 1.5MWp of solar PV capacity. The functional bodies have mapped the potential for PV on their buildings and solar energy installations have been encouraged through the planning system. In 2016-17, 9.5MW was committed by developers to be installed.
Despite the national government prematurely pulling the feed-in tariff, I continue to support Londoners to install solar, working hard towards my ambition of 1GW of solar in London by 2030. My team and I continue to call on the government to do more to enable Londoners to install 1GW solar by 2030, through consultation responses and meetings with government ministers and officers.

Suicides (3)

Keith Prince: What are you doing to reduce suicides rates on the underground?

The Mayor: Every suicide is a tragedy that has a far reaching impact on family, friends, community and staff long after a person has died. A number of agencies across London, including Transport for London (TfL), the emergency services and the Samaritans, work closely together to understand the risk factors of the current approach to suicide prevention, and work out ways to continue to reduce incidents. TfL also works with Network Rail and other train operating companies to share information and approaches to managing incidents of suicide on the railway.
Although more than 31 million journeys are made across the TfL network on an average day, suicides are thankfully rare. TfL’s suicide prevention programme provides training to staff on how to identify and give the appropriate support to any customers who appear to be in distress or who are acting in a way which would identify them as high risk of suicide. TfL has worked closely with the Samaritans on developing training material to give staff even more knowledge about the signs to look out for and the confidence to intervene. This training, refreshed yearly, has had a significant impact on empowering staff, with an increase of over 90 per cent in staff interventions, which has resulted in a reduction in suicide attempts this financial year.
TfL continues to improve its knowledge of what works in this complex field and will continue to adapt its strategy to help support better outcomes for people who are suicidal.

Suicides (2)

Keith Prince: For of each of the years 2016, 2017 and 2018, please can you provide how many suicides took place on the tube network?

The Mayor: More than 31 million journeys are safely made across the transport network each day. Sadly such incidents do occur in London and on all railways. Each incident is traumatic for everyone involved, their families, friends, Underground staff and the emergency services.
Transport for London (TfL) records suicide data by financial year.
- In 2016/2017, there were 54 suicide attempts on the Tube network.
- In 2017/2018, there were 72 suicide attempts.
- In 2018/2019 - up to 12 March 2019 - there have been 59 suicide attempts.
London Underground’s suicide prevention programme has successfully reduced suicide attempts this financial year. The programme provides training to staff on how to identify and give the appropriate support to any customers who appear to be in distress or who are acting in a way which would identify them as high risk of suicide. This training, refreshed yearly, has had a significant impact on empowering staff, with an increase of over 90 per cent in staff interventions, which has resulted in a reduction in suicide attempts this financial year.
Please see Mayor's Question 2019/6381 for further details on what TfL is doing to reduce suicide attempts on the Tube network.

Demand Responsive Bus Service

Keith Prince: The Mayor recently announced a consultation to trial an app-based demand responsive bus service with no fixed route or schedule. Will the drivers be required to undertake a topological Knowledge test or assessment or will they be relying on satellite navigation?

The Mayor: The drivers of this 12-month small-scale demand responsive bus trial will be using navigational equipment. Through the recruitment process and training programme, Transport for London will ensure they also have good geographical knowledge of Sutton.

Housing Infrastructure Fund bid

Tony Devenish: When do you anticipate a decision on the £250 million Housing Infrastructure Fund for the OPDC?

The Mayor: The Chancellor of the Exchequer included the HIF bid for Old Oak in the Spring Statement on Wednesday 13 March 2019. This is very positive news for the regeneration plans at Old Oak. On this basis, OPDC will continue to develop its plans for the delivery of new homes, jobs and supporting infrastructure.

London Waste and Recycling Board

Leonie Cooper: Via your representative as Chair, what are your priorities for London Waste and Recycling Board the coming year?

The Mayor: In the coming year my priority will be for LWARB, working with the GLA, London’s waste authorities and other partners, to get London back on track for achieving 65 per cent municipal waste recycling by 2030 and accelerating London’s transition to a low carbon circular economy. This will be achieved through delivering LWARB’s two core programmes; Resource London and Circular London.
Resource London will continue to focus on supporting London’s waste authorities to drive up household waste recycling rates and promote commercial waste recycling (including food). Resource London will continue to support boroughs to produce Reuse and Recycling Plans and will evaluate and scale up its innovative flats recycling programme.
Circular London is supporting start-ups in the built environment through its first circular economy accelerator, in partnership with the Carbon Trust and corporate partners
My officers will also co-ordinate with officers from LWARB, along with London Councils and local authorities, in our engagement with Government in its current waste consultations to ensure that London gets its fair share of funding for investment in recycling collection services.

Biodiesel

Leonie Cooper: Have you continued your predecessors’ Biodiesel programme?

The Mayor: I have broadened this programme to promote the use of biodiesel and other renewable fuels made from waste products including hydro-treated vegetable oil and bio-methane for use in public fleets. My officers work with local authorities to promote renewable fuels in developing their tender specifications for new waste fleet contracts. This forms part of my wider programme for accelerating the uptake of cleaner transport options including electric, hydrogen and hybrid technologies in the transition to low or zero emission transport and compliance with the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Community Energy

Leonie Cooper: Will you support Green Alliance’s Manifesto for Community Energy?

The Mayor: Supporting community energy is a core aim of my Solar Action Plan. My London Community Energy Fund, developed with community energy groups, helps community groups fund feasibility studies to get projects off the ground. This has helped 21 solar projects and six wider energy projects so far.
I have also been a vocal supporter of London’s community energy sector and have worked with groups to develop asks of national Government through my responses to the Feed in Tariff and Smart Export Guarantee consultations and meetings with Ministers and officials.
The Green Alliance Manifesto comes directly from community energy and environmental NGOs and its three main recommendations broadly align with the work I am doing through the community energy fund and Solar Action Plan. My officers will keep working with local groups maximise the impact of community energy in decarbonising London.

Culture budget

Susan Hall: For each of the years 2016, 2017 and 2018, please can you provide the number of people diverted from crime as a result of the culture budget?

The Mayor: I am taking a public health approach to reducing violence by tackling it at its root causes; access to culture is an important part of that preventative approach.
Through my culture budget I’m funding projects which help young Londoners gain access to training and to get employment – including projects with children in social care through my London Borough of Culture programme, and those at risk of school exclusion through Culture Seeds.
At a time when council youth service budgets have been slashed by £39 million over the past seven years, and 81 youth clubs have shut, my £45 million Young Londoners Fund is giving young Londoners - particularly those at risk of getting caught up in crime - new creative opportunities to fulfil their potential and make different life choices
My Culture Strategy aims to provide opportunities for all Londoners and has a broad remit.Outcomes as set out in my Implementation Plan include more Londoners participating and engaging with culture and a more diverse creative workforce. The Culture Strategy does not profile participants at risk of crime.

Brexit Business Hub

Susan Hall: How many businesses have directly contacted your Brexit Business Hub since its launch in September 2018?

The Mayor: The Brexit Business Resource Hub, which is part of the London Growth Hub, is an online resource to help businesses navigate Brexit. It lists Brexit sector specific news and resources, factsheets and referrals to industry reports and business preparedness checklists. This month a face to face support is being rolled out through a series of workshops that will be delivered across London to 1500 SMEs. These workshops will provide a platform for us to engage with businesses and collate feedback and intelligence on how businesses are being affecting by Brexit.

Bunhill Energy

Leonie Cooper: Can you provide an update on the Bunhill energy scheme?

The Mayor: Phase two of Islington Council’s Bunhill Heat and Power Network will utilise waste heat recovered from the tube and the project is aiming to be completed and operational by the end of 2019.
The heat network pipes have already been laid and connected to the various buildings that will be supplied by the network. The build and fit out of the energy centre is in its final stages and once these are completed the network is expected to be ready to supply heat by the end of 2019.

Waste Incineration

Leonie Cooper: How do you work with local communities who have concerns about the air pollution and health impacts of waste incineration?

The Mayor: My London Environment Strategy makes clear that if London achieves my waste reduction and recycling targets we will not need any new energy from waste facilities beyond those already built or that have planning permission. I recently objected to Cory’s national planning application for an incinerator in Bexley. I will be looking to understand key concerns raised by local community groups who also oppose the application.
With respect to specific local air quality concerns about existing incinerators, the Environment Agency is responsible for permitting these and working with local authorities and local communities to manage any resulting air pollution or associated impacts.
Recognising the importance of this issue I have commissioned a report into the air quality-related health impacts of existing incineration capacity in London which is expected to be published later this year.

Gender Balance in Young Londoners Fund

Florence Eshalomi: How are you ensuring that all young Londoners have services which they can access through the Young Londoners Fund? Specifically, how do you ensure young women and girls have activities which have been developed for them and that the commissioned services do not exclusively focus on activities which are typically considered ‘boys activities’ such as football and boxing?

The Mayor: Grants awarded through the Young Londoners Fund so far will provide activities for over 60,000 young people across the capital. It is supporting a wide range of education, sport, cultural and other activities for young Londoners. These address the diverse needs of young people by offering targeted services for hard-to-reach groups as well as inclusive activities that are open to all. You can find out more here https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/young-londoners-fund-projects
Applicants to the fund are required to provide robust evidence of the need for their proposed activities and to show the demand from young people. Applicants must also explain how young people have been involved in project design and development. Young people themselves were involved in application scoring.
Five projects are delivering activity specifically for young women and girls. One example is Hounslow Action for Youth’s ‘Agents For Change’ project. This delivers writing workshops and mentoring from women writers. You can read more here: https://www.london.gov.uk/city-hall-blog/international-womens-day-2019.
Most projects started delivery in January 2019. We are tracking the number of girls and young women being supported through our project monitoring process.

Gender Breakdown of those supported under the Stepping Stones programme

Florence Eshalomi: Please can you provide a gender breakdown of individuals who have received support from the Stepping Stones Programme since its establishment?

The Mayor: Stepping Stones supports vulnerable boys and girls in the transition from primary to secondary school. During its pilot phase it ran in three secondary schools and supported 126 year 7 boys and 86 year 7 girls.
In July 2018, 15 schools received funding from the Young Londoners Fund to run Stepping Stones for two academic years. So far, 532 year 7 boys and 662 year 7 girls have been supported. Two of the schools are girls’ schools.
We are also now collecting data on the characteristics of the year 10 Stepping Stones peer mentors. This data has been collected from 11 of the 15 schools so far and shows that 138 year 10 boys and 512 year 10 girls are peer mentors. One of the girls’ schools has trained 235 year 10 mentors which affects the gender ratio.
The Stepping Stones Toolkit is available for all London schools to download for free from the London.gov website.

Financial health

Susan Hall: Following the Economy Committee’s report, ‘Short Changed: the financial health of Londoners’, your Deputy Mayor Joanne McCartney hosted a special summit in November on improving the financial health of young people. What are the learnings from the summit and what are the next steps?

The Mayor: The summit in November 2018 was well attended and brought together education providers, banks, charities and technology companies with representatives from the education sector, to identify the challenges of improving financial skills of young Londoners and investigate how City Hall is best positioned to help.
We are working with the Single Financial Guidance Body (which the Money Advice Service is now part of) and other partners to consider how we might take these discussions forward. Early priorities include developing targeted activity to support care leavers. I will be exploring how we can use EdTech digital resources to improve care leavers financial literacy. We’ll work closely with the London Children in Care Council and London Councils to add value to existing activity.

LFC operational staff

Susan Hall: Is the LFC on track to have all vacancies filled by June 2019? What is the latest underspend on operational staff for 2018-19?

The Mayor: While London Fire Brigade currently remains on track to fill the operational establishment by June 2019 there is some potential for this to be extended if staff turnover were to increase to more than is currently forecast. The current underspent on operational staff salaries for 2018-19 is £1.8m.

One Met Model

Steve O'Connell: Have we seen any evidence that the One Met Model (OMM) digital policing transformation programme is delivering the level of anticipated benefits?

The Mayor: Digital technology underpins several Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) transformation programmes. New capabilities introduced over the past year include online crime reporting, interactive voice response technology and mobility, this has enabled:
The MPS anticipates further benefits over the next three years as they replace older policing systems with more modern technology to support the new operating model.

Supporting worker tech

Andrew Dismore: Do you have any plans to support “worker tech” – digital options to help employees improve their working conditions – through the Civic Innovation Challenge or the TechInvest programme?

The Mayor: Worker tech has the potential to increase pay, lower costs to workers or increase bargaining power through digital innovation. Much of the work in this area is being led by the Resolution Foundation alongside Bethnal Green Ventures, who delivered the 2018 Civic Innovation Challenge. Officers will explore how worker tech can best fit into our existing tech programmes.

Mayor’s Construction Academies

Andrew Dismore: Can you provide an update on the progress of your Construction Academies in London?

The Mayor: Twenty-one skills providers across London have been awarded the Mayor’s Construction Academy (MCA) quality mark to reflect the high standard of their construction training. The quality mark list will be re-opened for new applicants in summer 2019.
Seven MCA ‘hubs’ have been approved to receive just under £1.3 million revenue funding, to strengthen coordination between construction skills training providers and construction sector employers. A further £2 million, secured from the Business Rates Retention Pilot, will be made available to support a greater number of outputs and outcomes.
In regards to funding, £7.2 million of capital funding has been ring-fenced, as part of Skills for Londoners Capital Fund Round 2, for MCA projects. Applications for capital funding have been received and are currently under review by LEAP - the Local Enterprise Partnership for London. An announcement of successful applications is expected in April 2019.

BEIS Business Basics Programme – AI in London’s Retail and Hospitality Sectors

Andrew Dismore: Can you provide details about the BEIS Business Basics Programme – AI in London’s Retail and Hospitality Sectors and what outcomes the project expects to achieve?

The Mayor: The BEIS Business Basics programme is a central government funded programme aimed at increasing adoption of technologies across all sectors of the economy.
By partnering with the London School of Economics, Capital Enterprise and CognitionX, we are supporting SMEs in London's retail and hospitality sectors to test basic data-driven tools that will help them reach more customers and do more business.
The project will open for applications in April 2019 and will report in Q4 2019/20. This project aims to support around 200 companies.

Baby banks

Andrew Dismore: Do you know how many ‘baby banks’ are currently operating in London?

The Mayor: Baby banks are largely an informal type of provision, so it is hard to arrive at an accurate picture of their prevalence in London. However, there are three Little Village baby banks in London (Wandsworth, Camden and Southwark) with information on other centres and facilities that host baby banks, including several that the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) run across their various locations in the capital.

London Civil Society Leaders Project.

Andrew Dismore: Can you provide more details about the London Civil Society Leaders Project and what outcomes you expect to achieve?

The Mayor: The London Civil Society Leaders Project is a year long pilot leadership and capacity building programme. It will build the confidence and capabilities of up to 25 individuals who are active in London’s civil society. This collaboration will increase the GLA’s understanding of key professional development needs for civil society and equip GLA to better address the challenges facing civil society. The budget for this project is £50,000.
The expected outcomes of the Project include:

Taser use and high-risk groups

Sian Berry: There is a higher risk of death or serious injury from Taser discharge to young, elderly people and those with mental illness or under the influence of drugs. When undergoing Taser training, what guidance do Metropolitan Police Officers receive regarding high-risk groups?

The Mayor: MPS Taser training is based on the approved College of Policing curriculum, both for initial training and annual refreshers. The officers are all trained in, and use, the National Decision making (NDM) model. Also included is an understanding of Article 2 and Code of Ethics.
The training includes a module on “dealing with vulnerable people” which includes all of the groups mentioned in the question. The module looks at behaviour, appearance, communication and environmental factors as well as identifying groups particularly at risk, including mentally vulnerable people, distressed or disoriented people, people with disabilities (both physical and mental) and children.
The lesson provides an input into the likely effects of a Taser on these people and potential risk factors that may be present, as well as strategies to help diffuse the situation.

Childcare costs

Andrew Dismore: What progress have you made in making childcare more affordable in London?

The Mayor: I want children to have better outcomes and childcare to not be a barrier to work. I am supporting a range of activities to help parents access their early years entitlements and well- paid employment.
My new £6.5m European Social Fund Parental Employment project will support parents of young children to access childcare, find work, and to progress in work. This 4-year project starts in September 2019.
My London Early Years Campaign will increase awareness of free early education and help parents to understand available childcare support options. The campaign comprises of two strands: local activities which will reach 4000 parents and a pan-London social media campaign.
In January 2017, I launched an interest-free loan scheme to give parents in the GLA group the funds they need to cover the up-front costs of childcare provision. I’ve published guidance to help London employers launch their own schemes. The Childcare Deposit Loan Scheme forms part of my Good Work Standard that sets out best employment practices, including family-friendly work practices.
You can read more about our early years programmes at www.london.gov.uk/early-years

Taser deployment and new officers (2)

Sian Berry: In answer to my question 2018/0824, you told me that though the National Police Chief’s Council Taser guidance had been amended to: “allow probationer constables to be trained in the use of Taser. The MPS does not currently plan to train probationers in the use of Taser.” Is this still the case, and what is the minimum length of service currently needed before a Metropolitan Police Service officer can use a Taser?

The Mayor: Taser coverage across MPS, in line with armed deployments, is governed by the annual Armed Policing Strategic Threat Assessment (APSTRA). Through this assessment the numbers of Taser STOs (Specially Trained Officers) is kept under review. MPS has a Taser Uplift Programme which will increase STOs in Front Line Policing to 3303 by November 2019, and at present the threat assessment does not highlight the need to provide probationary officers with Taser Training at this time (the probationary period is currently 2 years).

18+ Student Oyster photocard (2)

Florence Eshalomi: Since the 18+ Student Oyster photocard was introduced in 2003 has the qualifying criteria for part time students changed?

The Mayor: Since the scheme was first introduced, any changes have simply reflected changes in government rules. The Access to Learning fund was replaced in 2013/14 with Higher Education Funding Council for England funding and then the latter was withdrawn. At both stages, Transport for London updated its conditions to reflect the changes, ensuring that as far as possible, those who were previously eligible would continue to be so.

Issuing of licences for taxi and private hire drivers (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: What is the current backlog of licence applications and re-applications as at 7th January 2019 for Private Hire licences and Taxi driver licences? What is the average time it is taking TfL to process both of these licences?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) receives more than 1,000 taxi and private hire driver’s licence applications per week. So far this year that number has risen to closer to 1,400.
The licence application process is complex, multi-staged and often iterative, which can involve requests for further information or clarity from applicants. As set out in MQ 0159/2019 there are also a number of elements in the licensing process that are outside of TfL’s control.
For example, the medical fitness of applicants must be assessed and applicants must undergo an enhanced DBS check through the Disclosure and Barring Service within timescales outside of TfL’s control.
Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and in each case TfL must be satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper person to be licensed.
As of 7 January 2019, the number of new and renewal applications that were at various stages of the TfL licensing process was:
Private hire vehicle driver’s licences
- 13,005 new applications (8,227 of these are applicants undertaking a topographical assessment)
- 5,040 renewal applications
Taxi driver’s licences
- 402 new applications
- 819 renewal applications
The average times it takes TfL to process an application, from receipt to licensing decision, are:
Private hire vehicle driver’s licences
- 189 days for new applications
- 50 days for renewal applications
Taxi driver’s licences
- 68 days for new applications (to be accepted onto the Knowledge of London process)
- 45 days for renewal applications
All quoted timescales are in calendar days.

Water company investment

Caroline Russell: What should water companies serving London be investing in, in the period from 2020 onwards, to ensure that London’s population has a reliable and secure water supply and that environmental, social and financial costs to Londoners are kept down in the long term?

The Mayor: To ensure a resilient and affordable water supply for Londoners, I believe a twin track approach is needed. This means improving water efficiency, reducing leakage and increasing metering while also enhancing London’s water resources and supply network. I support the need for major new water resources for London and the south east of England, but want to ensure the solutions are acceptable to London in terms of scale, flexibility and compatibility with my wider priorities for London. Tackling leakage and improving efficiency should be the first priority before a massive investment of this nature.
I responded to the draft resource plans from the water companies that serve London last year. They need to invest in leakage detection and repair, expanding metering and increasing water efficiency, including working with vulnerable customers.

18+ Student Oyster photocard (1)

Florence Eshalomi: Following MQ 2019/3950 can you confirm how many 18+ Student Oyster photocard’s were issued to part-time students from 2003 to date? Please breakdown your answer by year and by the relevant qualification criteria such as fee waivers, access bursaries, hardships funds or loans.

The Mayor: Education establishments registered on the Transport for London (TfL) scheme verify a student’s eligibility. TfL does not hold data on why a student is eligible.
The number of part-time students with an 18+ Oyster photocard is shown below:
2010 – 6213
2011 – 8402
2012 – 6981
2013 – 7568
2014 – 5773
2015 – 5048
2016 – 5522
2017 – 5223
2018 – 4423
TfL does not hold data before 2010.

Free travel for carers

Florence Eshalomi: At the Plenary on the 8th March 2018 I asked you about the possibility of free travel for carers across the Transport for London network. Positively, you informed me that you had tasked Transport for London to go away and look at this and would get back as soon as possible. Can you please provide an update of Transport for London’s findings on the feasibility of this and what plans are in place?

The Mayor: While there are currently no plans to introduce any new concessions, Transport for London has been looking at options for providing free or discounted travel for people who need assistance when travelling on public transport, for example those with a disability that makes it difficult to travel alone.
There are a number of factors that need to be considered as part of this work. This includes providing clarity as to who is eligible, the need to avoid duplication or inconsistency with other schemes and not opening up opportunities for fares avoidance. Any scheme would also need to be designed to recognise that the travel companion of an eligible person may not be the full-time carer.
Any proposal would need to be developed in conjunction with London Councils, who manage the Freedom Pass on behalf of the London Boroughs.

Firemen (1)

David Kurten: Do you agree with your Fire Commissioner that the word ‘fireman’ is harmful to women?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade research shows that many women still think that firefighting is a job for men. Referring to ‘firemen’ – a job title that hasn’t existed for over 30 years – reinforces that stereotype. The continued use of this outdated term can be offensive to existing women firefighters and adds to an outdated perception that the firefighting profession is for men only.
It takes a diverse selection of skills, strengths and specialisms to protect our great city - qualitiesthat both men and women possess - and the Commissioner has my wholehearted support in her efforts to attract the best possible talent to join London Fire Brigade.

Cost savings from integrated care

Onkar Sahota: Research by the Nuffield Trust has cast doubt on cost-savings arising from integrated healthcare plans. In some cases, for example, hospital admissions went up as new programmes simply discovered unmet need. What steps are you and the London Health Board taking to ensure service transformation plans are built on realistic savings and admissions reduction targets in London?

The Mayor: As part of my commitment to champion and challenge the NHS I will be applying my six tests to major health and care transformation and service reconfiguration plans in London. These tests, which must be met before I offer my support to such plans, include the requirement that bed capacity and financial plans are credible.

Firemen (2)

David Kurten: Do you agree with your Fire Commissioner that ‘Fireman Sam’ is an example of everyday sexism which is harmful to women, and that he should therefore be renamed ‘Firefighter Sam’?

The Mayor: Yes. we learn about jobs when we are children. We role-play what we want to be and sadly children are still learning that firefighters are called men by using a job title that was dropped in the 1980s. I would like to see the character’s name brought up to date to help children understand that both men and women can become firefighters.

Firemen (3)

David Kurten: What do you think of people who continue to use the word ‘fireman’?

The Mayor: I would ask them to respect the wishes of firefighters who have not been called ‘firemen’ for over 30 years and to consider the impact that the continued use of this outdated term has on reinforcing out of date perceptions and attracting men and women to become firefighters and keep our city safe.

Monitoring bus speeds in 20 mph areas

Caroline Russell: Intelligent Speed Adaption (ISA) is now in place on some buses. Given this and the range of devices on the bus fleet monitoring their location and progress, are you able to monitor buses being driven in excess of the speed limit?

The Mayor: Around 700 new buses are now fitted with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA). As this represents a relatively small part of the 9,000-strong fleet, Transport for London (TfL) has conducted monitoring where concerns have been raised over bus speeds in specific locations. Given up to 8,000 buses can operate at peak times, TfL is developing a more efficient and targeted way of monitoring speed compliance using existing bus technology, and plans to introduce this later this year.
From the end of 2019, new buses will additionally need to meet the Bus Safety Standard – a revised specification including new safety technology and enhanced design. This will incorporate ISA as a mandatory element so that a rising proportion of the fleet has it as a standard feature.

ULEZ (2)

Keith Prince: Given the ULEZ is starting in April, why is the testing facility at Millbrook closing at the end of March?

The Mayor: The test facility at Millbrook is used by retrofit manufacturers seeking approval under the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS). It is not for compliance testing of individual vehicles in ULEZ. Some retrofit manufacturers use accredited test facilities in other countries and so will be unaffected.
Millbrook have confirmed that the Variable Temperature Emissions Chamber (VTEC) will be closed for refurbishment between 29 March and 17 May – however some VTEC slots are still available. The refurbishment work is essential to maintain the facility.
Millbrook have a range of other facilities including type-approval test cells for light duty vehicles and test tracks, where testing can be used to demonstrate an existing retrofit approval ‘read-across’ to other vehicle models.

Naming of new collisions database

Caroline Russell: Transport for London (TfL) is updating the main database of road collision data, Accstats 2. Could TfL embrace a road danger reduction approach and name this database as Collstats 1 rather than Accstats 3 to reflect a focus on collisions rather than accidents?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is currently updating the ACCSTATS2 collision system as well as considering the naming of the new system. I agree that COLLSTATS aligns with our road danger reduction approach and I have asked TfL to reflect this in the naming of the new system.

Diesel use in demand responsive buses

Caroline Russell: It is proposed to use diesel buses for the demand responsive bus trial in Sutton. Given that these are minibus vehicles, why hasn’t Transport for London (TfL) been able to specify electric buses? What would be the expected lifetime of these buses under current TfL policies?

The Mayor: Up to eight 14-seater buses will be used for this 12 month research trial to see whether a demand responsive service can complement and help improve the reach of our bus network.Following the trial, the buses will be redeployed by the operator. The buses will meet the ultra-clean Euro VI engine emission standard, in line with my commitment to ensure the entire bus fleet is Euro VI or better by the end of 2020. My ultimate plan is to ensure all buses in the fleet are zero-emission by 2037 at the latest.

Citymapper Pass

Caroline Russell: What measures is Transport for London (TfL) taking to ensure that there are no adverse privacy implications from Citymapper’s Pass offer where they are offering an Oyster competitor product?

The Mayor: The Citymapper pass is a contactless payment card, so no measures are necessary beyond those TfL already takes for any customer using such a card.
Citymapper is responsible for compliance with privacy obligations relating to its customers’ data. I understand that Citymapper do not require customers to share their TfL online account details, which would be in breach of TfL’s terms and conditions.

Brexit and teachers (2)

Jennette Arnold: How are you supporting London’s EU teachers and teaching assistants throughout the Brexit process?

The Mayor: With London schools continuing to experience significant challenges in recruitment and retention, my Teach London campaign promotes training to be a teacher and developing careers in London schools to all people including from EU countries.
The Government’s proposal to restrict future immigration to skilled people earning salaries over £30,000 simply won’t allow London to continue to grow its economy and provide crucial public services like teaching. The salary threshold must be reduced and/or the Shortage Occupation List considerably expanded. I supported the TES campaign for Government to put the entire teaching profession on the shortage occupation list for visas. The Department for Education’s new national teacher recruitment and retention strategy says that the Migration Advisory Committee, which has been asked to review the Shortage Occupation List, will now include consideration of the case for extending the teacher occupations on this List beyond maths, physics, general science, computing and Mandarin.
I am providing online advice about living in London after Brexit to all EU citizens through my EU Londoners Hub www.london.gov.uk/EU-londoners-hub

The Citymapper Pass (2)

Tom Copley: What rules, if any, do Transport for London have regarding a company buying tickets for re-sale? Either in the Citymapper pass example or via a traditional commuter club such as www.commuterclub.co.uk?

The Mayor: The Citymapper pass is not an example of ticket resale. It is a contactless payment card that can be used to hire bikes and to pay as you go on the Transport for London (TfL) network, with TfL receiving payment in exactly the same way as they do for any payment card.
Commuter Club’s arrangement is with the Rail Delivery Group. TfL has no similar agreements with any third party.

Police officer mental health

Steve O'Connell: On 27 November 2018, HMICFRS published its report, 'Policing and Mental Health: Picking Up the Pieces'. The report made a number of recommendations including that all forces should carry out a snapshot exercise to assess their mental health-related demand, evaluate their mental health triage services and review their mental health training programmes. How will the Met and MOPAC implement the recommendations in the report?

The Mayor: I have put victims at the heart of the Police and Crime Plan. This includes vulnerabilities such as those suffering from mental health problems. Please find the full response to HMICFRS’s inspection report on the website -https://www.london.gov.uk/mopac-publications-0/dmpc-letter-home-secretary-mental-health

Firemen (4)

David Kurten: Would you like to see the words ‘fireman’ and ‘firemen’ eradicated?

The Mayor: The term ‘fireman’ was eradicated over 30 years ago when the job title changed to ‘firefighter’.

Childhood obesity - KPIs

Andrew Boff: What key performance indicators have you put in place to measure the success of your strategy to tackle childhood obesity?

The Mayor: I set up London’s Child Obesity Taskforce to ensure we are provided with clear, independent advice on what bold and radical actions are needed to get a grip on child obesity.
The key performance indicators the Taskforce will use to measure success will be taken from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). This data is used to both track trends in the population and provide health and wellbeing advice to parents and carers
The Taskforce will recommend an overarching target to halve child obesity in London by 2030. To support this ambition, I and other London partners are working together to achieve a 10 per cent reduction in the proportion of children in Reception class who are overweight by 2023/24, with action targeted on the most at risk. This commitment is included in my Health Inequalities Strategy and Food Strategy.

Childhood obesity

Andrew Boff: What are you doing to tackle childhood obesity?

The Mayor: London has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in Europe, harming the future life chances of many young Londoners and placing avoidable pressure on health and care services. The number of children aged 10 and 11 years old in London who are overweight or obese has reached almost 40 per cent. The issue is even more prevalent in the poorer parts of our city – with child obesity twice as high in the most deprived parts of London, like Barking and Dagenham, compared to the more affluent boroughs, like Richmond.
Although I don't have a statutory responsibility, I'm determined to do what I can from City Hall. That's why I’m helping schools and childcare settings to be healthier through my Healthy Schools and Healthy Early Years programmes, and through supporting initiatives like The Daily Mile.
I’m improving our streets and neighbourhoods to be safer to walk, cycle and play in by making the Healthy Streets approach the backbone of my Transport Strategy and by publishing the healthiest London Plan to date. My London Plan includes plans to restrict the opening of new hot food takeaways within 400 metres of a school.
I’m also supporting families to make healthy choices through measures outlined in my Food Strategy, including new restrictions on the advertising of junk food on the TfL network and rolling out London’s first water fountain and refill programme
I also have set-up London's Child Obesity Taskforce with the aim of securing further action by leaders and decision makers across London, including working with the London Assembly.
Unfortunately, I don’t hold all of the levers to tackle this issue. Creating a step change on this issue requires action from business leaders to reformulate products, as well as leadership from London’s Boroughs, schools, nurseries and the NHS. We also need the Government to step up through further devolution, regulation and legislation.

OPDC Housing Infrastructure Fund bid (1)

Andrew Boff: Could you please set out on which specific sites you expect the 13,000 homes committed to within this bid to be delivered, including the number of homes at each site and anticipated year of delivery?

The Mayor: The Housing Infrastructure Fund bid contains information that is commercially sensitive for landowners and other parties involved, so some of the details, including the number of homes at each site and the anticipated year of delivery, remain confidential. OPDC is in the process of reviewing the land required for the first phase of delivery at Old Oak North, which we expect to catalyse delivery of homes elsewhere in Old Oak in line with OPDC’s draft Local Plan. The locations of homes and jobs that are expected to be delivered within the period of the Local Plan (until 2038), are set out in the Local Plan Policy SP10 Table 3.1 and Figure 3.17.

Old Oak Common

Andrew Boff: Are you still committed to the target of 24,000 homes and 55,000 new jobs at Old Oak Common? If so, could you please provide the specific locations of these homes and jobs, by site, and the anticipated year of their delivery?

The Mayor: OPDC continues to be committed to the minimum targets of 24,000 homes and 55,000 new jobs across the area of Old Oak. The locations of those homes and jobs that are expected to be delivered within the period of the Local Plan (until 2038) are set out in the Local Plan Policy SP10 Table 3.1 and Figure 3.17. This information is based on OPDC’s Development Capacity Study which supports the Local Plan. The remaining homes and jobs are expected to be delivered after 2038.

OPDC Housing Infrastructure Fund bid (3)

Andrew Boff: Will any of the 10,000 homes or infrastructure committed to in Old Oak North, under the HIF bid, be built on Cargiant land? If so, what assessment has been made of the expected costs of making this land available for development, and how much of the £250m funding would be set aside for this purpose?

The Mayor: Initial land requisitioning notices have been issued and OPDC will continue to gather information and assess the requirements prior to confirming the extent of any land and rights that might need to be acquired. In all cases, OPDC will seek to acquire by negotiation before using its powers of compulsory purchase.
OPDC has been, and will continue to be, in dialogue with landowners and businesses within the site. Whilst the government’s funding announcement is great news, OPDC are keen to make sure that operating businesses are not negatively impacted wherever possible. OPDC is committed to working constructively and flexibly with all landowners, and looks forward to future meetings and discussions.

OPDC Housing Infrastructure Fund bid (2)

Andrew Boff: Would delivery of the new homes and infrastructure committed to under the HIF bid require compulsory purchase of any land? If so, could you please provide the location of any such land?

The Mayor: Initial land requisitioning notices have been issued and OPDC will continue to gather information and assess the requirements prior to confirming the extent of any land and rights that might need to be acquired. In all cases, OPDC will seek to acquire by negotiation before using its powers of compulsory purchase.

OPDC Housing Infrastructure Fund bid (5)

Andrew Boff: If the HIF bid is unsuccessful, what alternative approaches do you intend to adopt to secure new homes, jobs and infrastructure at Old Oak Common?

The Mayor: The Chancellor of the Exchequer included the HIF bid for Old Oak in the Spring Statement on Wednesday 13 March 2019. This is very positive news for the regeneration plans at Old Oak. On this basis, OPDC will continue to develop its plans for the delivery of new homes, jobs and supporting infrastructure.

OPDC Housing Infrastructure Fund bid (4)

Andrew Boff: In the event that the HIF bid is unsuccessful, do you still intend to provide a total of £38.4m of funding to the OPDC in the years 2019/20 to 2022/23?

The Mayor: The Chancellor of the Exchequer included the HIF bid for Old Oak in the Spring Statement on Wednesday 13 March 2019. This is very positive news for the regeneration plans at Old Oak. The sum of £38.4m for 2019/20 to 2022/23 represents the approved budget for OPDC’s revenue expenditure in 2019/20 and planned expenditure for the following three years.

Electrical appliance safety

Andrew Dismore: An investigation by Which? showed that major retailers were still selling plastic-backed fridges and other electronic appliances, despite London Fire Brigade advice to remove these lines. What steps is London Fire Brigade and the Mayor taking to ensure London Fire Brigade guidance is followed?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has been lobbying for many years for all new refrigeration and freezing appliances to have a fully fire resistant backing as standard. They have not specifically asked retailers to remove plastic-backed fridges from the sale but have recommended that consumers do not buy them and asked manufacturers to stop making them. LFB is calling for the way that fridges and freezers are produced to change so that they are safer even if there is a fire. They have my full support in the campaign for a new standard, which would mean that fridge and freezer compressor compartments and the entire back panel would have to have a suitable level of flame retardance, such as being able to withstand catching fire.

Resource demands after Hackitt

Andrew Dismore: The LFC described the work on fire safety following the Hackitt review as having a “huge impact” on London Fire Brigade resources. What has been the equivalent financial commitment from the Brigade on matters relating to the Review a) since its development and publication and b) what is predicted in future years?

The Mayor: There has been a huge increase in the demand placed on the London Fire Commissioner’s fire safety resources and the Hackitt review has been a significant, but not the only, factor in this.
Following the London Fire Commissioner’s review of resource requirements in 2017, £1.5m was set aside to resource Fire Safety in dealing with the additional workload that would follow from the fire at Grenfell Tower and other related reviews into building safety. Further demands have also been met as part of the Building Safety Programme to implement the Hackitt recommendations. This programme will be hosted by London Fire on behalf of NFCC, and supported with funding from the Home Office and MHCLG. Funding of £260k is expected in 2018/19 and further funding to be determined for 2019/20.

Fire safety in office to residential conversions (1)

Andrew Dismore: When office premises are converted to residential under the permitted development rights, what steps does London Fire Brigade take to ensure the building meets fire safety standards?

The Mayor: When London Fire Brigade (LFB) is consulted, on these matters, for example by a developer or the building control body dealing with the development, they will give due regard to the access and facilities for firefighters and the general fire precautions in the building in those areas where the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies and provide appropriate observations and comments. LFB has general concerns about levels of competency within the industry and the application of the building regulations across the built environment, including these types of conversions and has included those concerns within their responses to Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, the ongoing workstreams in relation to that review and their response to the consultation on the technical review of the Approved Document B of the building regulations.

Firefighter nutrition

Andrew Dismore: What steps is London Fire Brigade taking to ensure firefighters can get healthy and suitable food on shift?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade has commissioned one of its firefighters, with expert knowledge of diet and nutrition, to deliver a pilot initiative in the Brigade’s north east area to help employees adjust their diet so that it comprises the necessary nutritional intake and assists them in eating only sufficient amounts to help them maintain a healthy weight. This has included 52 watches across 14 stations. An end of year report has been produced which is currently being reviewed with a proposal to extend the pilot to cover the remaining three areas.
As part of the Brigade'sstrategy on improving the health and wellbeing of staff it also launched a wellworks site last year, offering a range of healthy eating and nutritional advice for staff to follow.

Sprinklers hit

Andrew Dismore: London Fire Brigade’s #SprinklersHit campaign rightly points out that tenants, not developers, end up on the hook for automated fire suppression systems, and that this must change. What meetings and correspondence has London Fire Brigade and the Mayor had on this topic with ministers?

The Mayor: As Mayor of London, I strongly support London Fire Brigade’s position on automated fire suppression systems. I am calling for the guidance to be reformed to require them in more new buildings and for funding to be made available to support social landlords to retrofit them into existing tower blocks. I have written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government a number of times on this issue, including in my response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety and in the subsequent consultations on Approved Document B. London Fire Brigade has also responded to these consultations and the Fire Commissioner has a meeting with the Housing Minister to discuss these issues in April.

Crest and Harmony Hall

Jennette Arnold: Mental Health Charity Crest face losing their premises as Harmony Hall in my constituency goes up for sale. What support is the Mayor’s Office able to offer groups such as Crest in raising funds for projects like this?

The Mayor: The Good Growth Fund is my £70m regeneration investment programme, set up to support projects that demonstrate the principles of Good Growth and community development. It funds projects that represent innovative, best practice regeneration to deliver tangible benefits to local people, increase local prosperity, and enhance the character of local places. The fund can provide capital funding to support the acquisition of an asset for community groups, as part of wider place-based strategies that can lead to regeneration outcomes beyond the immediate investment.
CREST applied to the Good Growth Fund in 2018 as part of an effort to raise funding to purchase Harmony Hall, but their application was unsuccessful due to the significant delivery risks associated with the project. They have been encouraged to apply in the next round, which will launch in September this year, once the issues are resolved. My officers have put them in touch with local regeneration officers in London Borough of Waltham Forest for further support.

Fire safety in office to residential conversions

Andrew Dismore: What issues did the London Fire Brigade identify for review following the simultaneous evacuation of a block of flats in Stratford on 18 February 2019?

The Mayor: The premises involved in this incident was a purpose built block of flats and not a conversion.While London Fire Brigade is still awaiting the outcomes of the Performance Review of Operations and Command for this incident, early indications are that the evacuation of this premises was carried out in accordance with the plan for that building.

Fire safety in office to residential conversions (2)

Andrew Dismore: How many fires has London Fire Brigade dealt with in residential premises that have been converted from offices under the permitted development rights since this was introduced in 2013? Please provide the figures annually.

The Mayor: When a fire occurs the attending crews will record the premises type based on its current use.As such a commercial premise that has been converted to residential use at the time of the fire would be recorded as a residential property type.As such, there is no readily available data set to identify offices converted under the permitted development rights that have had a fire.

Suicides (1)

Keith Prince: In Japan, the placing blue LED lights on station platforms has led to an 84% reduction in suicides. Is this something you will consider doing in London?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) and I are committed to minimising incidents of suicide on the transport network. Every suicide is a tragedy that has a far reaching impact on family, friends and community long after a person has died.
TfL has a range of suicide prevention measures in place including staff training and customer campaigns to promote awareness of the Samaritans. TfL will always consider alternative ideas that could help reduce incidents of suicide further.
TfL has already reviewed academic research on the blue LED lights method, which has also been considered by the Rail Safety and Standards Board. The research has suggested that the impact of blue LED lights on suicide rates is inconclusive.
Nevertheless, TfL will continue to monitor any research in this area, as well as continue its dialogue on suicide prevention with Network Rail and the wider rail industry, the British Transport Police and national agencies and charities.

Air pollution in the Earls Court area

Caroline Pidgeon: Following the recent publication by Friends of the Earth of a map showing breaches of nitrogen dioxide pollution which revealed that Earl’s Court station had the highest recording across the country for this level of air pollution, what assurances can you provide local residents that all future housing developments in the area will include measures to mitigate the high levels of air pollution that the area is already facing?

The Mayor: I am serious about tackling the problem of air pollution and am committed to making air quality in London the best in any major world city. My draft London Plan aims to ensure that new development is designed and built, both to improve local air quality and reduce the extent to which the public are exposed to poor air quality as far as possible. Major development proposals, including those near Earl’s Court Station, would need to be Air Quality Neutral as a minimum, with large-scale developments required to propose methods of achieving an Air Quality Positive approach.
New developments will be required to demonstrate how they have delivered improvements that support the Healthy Streets Approach, of which clean air is a key part. In addition to my draft London Plan, my Transport Strategy and Environment Strategy contain wider measures to reduce air pollution and exposure to poor air quality.